Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six. This is our last episode of 2024 – which feels crazy to say! Time flies! Today, we’re recapping the six biggest stories of the year, including this week’s big story about the Summit County Council approving an amended development agreement with Dakota Pacific Real Estate. Without further ado, let’s get into the news…
TOPIC 1: DPRE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT APPROVAL
At this week’s County Council meeting—the final meeting of 2024—the Summit County Council approved Dakota Pacific Real Estate’s amended development agreement in a 4-1 roll call vote.
The approval concludes an arduous deliberation process that began in 2019 when DPRE first applied to amend its development agreement for 90 acres of property in the Kimball Junction area – adjacent to the Skullcandy Building.
To read the agreement in full, visit: summitcounty.info/dpreagreement. To watch the council meeting and approval, visit summitcounty.info/councilrecording.
TOPIC 2: PURCHASES & ACQUISITIONS
Moving onto some big purchases and acquisitions that happened this year. First up, back in May, the Summit County Council purchased the Skullcandy headquarters building for $17.5 million using sales tax bond funding.
At the time, County Council Chair, Malena Stevens, said of the purchase: “Summit County has worked for years to identify a suitable location for a new county facility in the Snyderville Basin. The Council has explored options to acquire an existing property such as the Skullcandy headquarters compared to the cost feasibility of building a new facility. Existing infrastructure may best serve our community in a more fiscally responsible manner.”
From here, the county will work with Skullcandy on a new lease to determine the future of the building. Summit County is interested in getting some county functions in the building and anticipates sharing more with the public about these plans in the new year. Stay tuned!
In more purchasing news, Summit County also acquired the following properties this year with the help of bond funds for open space: the 835-acre Ure Ranch, the 8,558 acre 910 Ranch, and the 4,338 acre Wright Ranch in Echo Canyon.
For some context, over the past three years, the Summit County Lands and Natural Resources Department has been dedicated to preserving vital wildlife corridors, water resources, viewsheds, and our county’s agricultural roots. To date, 13,731 acres of land have been secured countywide since 2021 with help from the General Obligation Bond for Open Space, grants, and Summit County Volunteer open space boards such as ESAP and the Open Space Advisory Council (OSAC).
Summit County acquires property and secures conservation easements for open space, conservation, and agricultural preservation. The County welcomes landowners to submit a Notice of Interest, or “NOI”, to have their property evaluated for possible qualified use of these Open Space Bond Funds. A NOI may only be completed by the property owner or an authorized representative. Find out more at summitcounty.info/NOI.
We also want to mention that Summit County is currently developing the “910 Ranch Management and Recreation Plan” intended to guide future use of the property. A survey is out now for you, the community, to give input that reflects the priorities, direction, and vision of the property, and to inform a balanced plan that can provide recreation opportunities while protecting resources and conservation values. Take the survey today at
summitcounty.info/910survey.
The 2024 General Election saw record voter turnout with just over 26,000 ballots cast, a turnout of 89.11%. A massive kudos to the Summit County Clerk’s Office for overseeing and ensuring another year of secure and fair elections.
TOPIC 4: EMERGENCY SERVICES SALES TAX
Another important ballot measure voters saw on their ballots this past November was the Emergency Services Sales Tax. Voters passed the proposed sales tax increase with flying colors, with approximately 72% of voters voting YES on the proposition.
The ESST is a one-half (.005) percent increase to sales taxes in Summit County (that’s 50 cents on applicable purchases of $100) intended to reduce the impact of tourism.
Revenue generated from the Emergency Services Sales Tax will support things like Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Fire Protection, and even solid waste, here in Summit County:
Approximately 65% of sales tax revenue is generated by non-residents, which means nearly two-thirds of revenue generated from this tax will be paid by visitors.
Gas & Diesel, Medical prescriptions, and groceries or unprepared foods are not taxed.
Examples of taxable purchases include:
Residents can expect to start seeing the tax increase on applicable purchases around March or April of 2025.
TOPIC 5: GENERAL PLAN UPDATES
The County also began the process of updating our two general plans – the Eastern Summit County General Plan and the Snyderville Basin General Plan – this year.
For some context, a General Plan is a guiding document that outlines a community’s goals for future development, including land use, transportation, housing, conservation, and other key elements. General Plans are typically updated every five to ten years to ensure that the community’s values and expectations for the future are being considered.
The Snyderville Basin General Plan was last updated in 2015. The Eastern Summit County General Plan was adopted in 2013. Over the years, there have been amendments to both plans to accommodate new State regulations, but this is the first comprehensive update in some time.
Through research and extensive community engagement, the goal is to update both General Plans to include actionable goals and policies and clear implementation strategies that reflect the values of our community and support a sustainable future.
This year, county staff sought feedback from both Eastern Summit County and Snyderville Basin community members through open houses and surveys specific to their own communities. Three in-person open houses were held and five surveys were administered across both sides of the county. Residents also had the opportunity to speak with planning staff virtually and participate in a self-guided, virtual open house. The engagement focused on themes like managing natural resources and growing responsibility, as well as Promoting Healthy Living, Preserving Unique Identities, and Creating Inclusive Communities, which were themes identified by the Community during Our Summit Community Visioning. The feedback staff receives will help guide the General Plan updates which in turn help to inform County policies.
In 2025, residents can expect more opportunities to provide feedback on the general plans, including updates to future land use maps and a newly required element focused on water use and conservation. Staff anticipates the adoption of both plans by the end of 2025.
To learn more, stay up to date on involvement opportunities, and more visit: summitcounty.info/gpupdates.
TOPIC 6: COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT
And, finally, this year, the Summit County Health Department conducted and wrapped up the Community Health Assessment, and it is now complete! Thank you to everyone who participated. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of our community. From the results, the top areas identified for improvement overall in Summit County are:
On a positive note, residents rated several factors as strengths, including:
We appreciate your contributions and look forward to using this data to better serve our community. Together, we’ll work to address challenges and celebrate our community’s strengths. Stay tuned for more updates!
Well…what a year it’s been! We’ll be back in 2025 continuing to bring you fast Summit County news every Friday! See you in January!
